Who Cares? Talking about HIV and Activism Beyond the Western World

How are HIV education and care work possible in a socio-political environment that prevents such help? How can affected people take control of their fate within a system that fundamentally disempowers them? And does art even play a role in such contexts? In a talk with Marcel Bleuler, Dr. Wessam El Beih (Egypt) and Krishen Samuel (South Africa/GB) provide insights into their activist approaches to HIV/AIDS. The conversation with El Beih will take place via Skype.

• 3 pm.
• In English
• Free admission

Dr. Wessam El Beih has been the Country Director of Drosos Foundation in Egypt since September 2014. Prior to that, she served with United Nations Organizations in a number of positions including as UNICEF Chief of Global Fund Management in Somalia and as UNAIDS Country Director in Egypt. El Beih is a medical doctor with a Master degree in Health Systems Management from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She has 20 years of experience in managing development projects in the fields of HIV, Health, Gender and Education in the Middle East, in North and East Africa as well as the United States.

Krishen Samuel hails from Johannesburg, South Africa and has been living with HIV for the past decade. While completing a master's degree in public health in London, he engaged in activism in order to draw attention to the ongoing global epidemic. He has since spoken about his experiences at venues including British Parliament, the UK Department for International Development and Harvard University. He has met with decision makers in the UK and US in order to advocate for the maintenance and increase of funding for global HIV programmes. He currently writes on HIV as well as other health topics.

Marcel Bleuler (PhD) works at the interface of art history research and social commitment. As a Senior Scientist at the University of Salzburg's cooperation focus on Science & Art, he is mainly concerned with Social Art, Cultural Participation and Activism. He is also head of the postgraduate program Arts and International Cooperation at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, where he also teaches in the Department of Art and Media.